V-Flyer

The near mythical free upgrade has just happened to my wife.

As I posted a few days ago I booked her a PE ticket using my miles for her to join me in NYC.

She was sat at the gate waiting for flight VS009 to board, when she was called to the desk. Apparently PE is overbooked, and they told her that as she is smartly dressed and traveling by herself that they would like to upgrade her to UC.

As you can imagine, she is delighted!

Result - shame it happened at the gate - she didn't get to use the clubhouse

crispin wrote:Result - shame it happened at the gate - she didn't get to use the clubhouse

She couldn't have used the Clubhouse as it was an op-up.

Nice result for your wife y)

crispin wrote:Result - shame it happened at the gate - she didn't get to use the clubhouse

I dont believe op/up upgrades get you entrance to the clubhouse anyway.

But result all the same

honey lamb wrote:She couldn't have used the Clubhouse as it was an op-up

! You beat me to it HL whilst I was tippy typing :X

Can anyone here who knows the facts on this scenario tell me how the decision at the gate is actually made. Is it literally by the people at the desk in the departure lounge who "choose" the lucky recipient, or is it a decision by someone sitting in an office elsewhere - say Rev Mgt or Sales and the staff in the lounge simply communicate the change?

I don't know exactly, but my wife was told it was because she was traveling alone and dressed smartly. So does that lead to think that a combination of the two. (An office somewhere supplying a list of possibles to the gate staff, and then they chose on appearance?)

What surprised me is that she's traveling on a U and that no-one on a w was moved.

Still, all good for her!

vizbiz wrote:Can anyone here who knows the facts on this scenario tell me how the decision at the gate is actually made. Is it literally by the people at the desk in the departure lounge who "choose" the lucky recipient, or is it a decision by someone sitting in an office elsewhere - say Rev Mgt or Sales and the staff in the lounge simply communicate the change?

It is made in the back office but check in agent will mark you wither SFU (suitable for upgrade) or NSFU (not suitabloe for upgrade) and the office will use this info together what they need - e.g. single traveller, type of ticket, Gold Card or above holder (but I would expect their upgrades to have been authorised earlier in the clubhouse). Their throwaway line about being smartly dressede was just that - nothing to do with it IMHO.

rich1664 wrote:What surprised me is that she's traveling on a U and that no-one on a w was moved.

How does she now that ? W could have been selected prior to checkin as often happens or were bleeped before or after she left the gate.

Upgrades are so satisfying - great result y)

What luck! Of course it still gives those who travel once every 5 years on the cheapest possible ticket the expectancy of an upgrade ...

Dress does have a part to play, albeit a low priority one.

iGuyHD wrote:Dress does have a part to play Hackneyguy,

I was speaking from my vast experience of witnessing op ups over the years and it certainly DOES NOT work in reality - unless one counts football shirts and shorts as acceptable dress for Upper - as a paying J PAX I dont v(
Many, many a time I have had a member of cabin crew remark to me -"How do "they" make the decions to op up ?"

I dont doubt the manual exists as you said, but it may be too long for all to read and certainly is not followed IME.

Maybe I'm reading your comment wrong, but are you implying I'm not a paying J pax?

iGuyHD wrote:Having actually looked at the guidelines for allowing OpUps, I can pretty much say that the policy is fairly complicated; depends on a whole plethora of things, with pretty strict policies with regards to priority and status.

Dress does have a part to play Hackneyguy, since the manual states quite clearly that pax who are smartly dressed will be selected over those that arnt if it comes to the crunch. It also helps if your booking has been TCPd with an Upper class booking (if your travelling together for example).

The whole policy document is about 20 pages long, so a bit long to post on here - besides, I'd get into trouble :p

How do you (they) define smartly dressed?

Just so there is no ambiguity in the future, I pay, in full, for my J tickets. I have never travelled as anything less than a full revenue passenger.

iGuyHD wrote:Just so there is no ambiguity in the future, I pay, in full, for my J tickets. I have never travelled as anything less than a full revenue passenger.

I wouldn't get upset over what HG posts; he does have awful habit of SHOUTING on here y)

hackneyguy wrote:

rich1664 wrote:What surprised me is that she's traveling on a U and that no-one on a w was moved.

How does she now that ? W could have been selected prior to checkin as often happens or were bleeped before or after she left the gate.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but her eticket has U as the travel class on it.

I have heard many theories about the old op-up - people buying titles, accidentally leaving 'gifts' on the check in desk (can't see that one working in these security wise days), wearing full hunting gear, dressing for your oscar awards party ....

In reality they are going to op-up whoever is the highest rev, best positioned to accomodate the rest of the Y passengers and least offensive to stick with the purple card holders.

daywalker wrote:

iGuyHD wrote:Just so there is no ambiguity in the future, I pay, in full, for my J tickets. I have never travelled as anything less than a full revenue passenger.

I wouldn't get upset over what HG posts; he does have awful habit of SHOUTING on here y)

I dont think HG was challenging which cabin any individual flew in or type of ticket they had / paid for just that the policy on 'smart dress' needing to be worn as part of the 'assessement' for getting an op-up does not appear to mean 'smart dress' as most people would understand it. And this seams to be born out by some of the comments made to him by crew.

To me 'smart dress' in this context does not include sports shirts / shorts / trainers etc.

rich1664 wrote:

hackneyguy wrote:

rich1664 wrote:What surprised me is that she's traveling on a U and that no-one on a w was moved.

How does she now that ? W could have been selected prior to checkin as often happens or were bleeped before or after she left the gate.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but her eticket has U as the travel class on it.

I think the question was how your good lady knew no one with a W ticket wasn't upgraded

tontybear wrote:

daywalker wrote:

iGuyHD wrote:Just so there is no ambiguity in the future, I pay, in full, for my J tickets. I have never travelled as anything less than a full revenue passenger.

I wouldn't get upset over what HG posts; he does have awful habit of SHOUTING on here y)

I dont think HG was challenging which cabin any individual flew in or type of ticket they had / paid for just that the policy on 'smart dress' needing to be worn as part of the 'assessement' for getting an op-up does not appear to mean 'smart dress' as most people would understand it. And this seams to be born out by some of the comments made to him by crew.

To me 'smart dress' in this context does not include sports shirts / shorts / trainers etc.

Thank you Tonty for your reasoned posting y) Pleased that SOME posters can still display politeness

I think 'smart' dress varies across age groups to be honest; be it a full on whistle and flute, or something a little less formal.

I totally agree that shorts and sports tops are not what we all want to see when in J, but similarly, a good pair of jeans, coupled with an open necked shirt or polo is fine with me.

Provided people make an effort, all credit to them.

hackneyguy wrote:Thank you Tonty for your reasoned posting y) Pleased that SOME posters can still display politeness

Irony at it best

Let's try and not go OT with this thread please.